Gas-Phase Ozone: Assessment of Biocidal Properties for the Indoor Environment—A Critical Review

Abstract

This report provides a detailed review of the scientific literature regarding the biocidal activity of gas' phase ozone. Many claims about its efficacy in reducing microbial contamination have been made by the manu, facturers of ozone generators, which have unfortu, nately found their way into the popular press. How, ever, this review of the peer.-reviewed, published, scientific literature has found no appreciable antimicrobial effect of gas,phase ozone on either airborne or surface microorganisms. Its potential role in the control of biological poUution in the indoor environment is not sub, stantiated by scientific investigations.

Efficiency of Room Air Cleaners for Removal of Bioaerosols From Ambient Air

“…The amount of O 3 generated per unit time is a direct function of the amount of electrical power which is dissipated in the ionized sheath 2 . O 3 is a wellrecognized disinfectant used to kill microorganisms 3 , however its primary application has been limited to contaminated surfaces 4 . To test the capability of the system to purify air by collecting bioaerosols the microorganisms bacteria, Escherichia coli K-12 (E. coli) and bacteriophage MS2, a surrogate virus, were selected for testing.…”

Evaluation of ozone emissions and exposures from consumer products and home appliances

“…Such reactions produce other air pollutants such as formaldehyde and ultrafine particles (Coleman et al., ; Nazaroff and Weschler, ; Singer et al., ), which may also have adverse health impacts (Ibald‐Mulli et al., ; NTP, ; Oberdörster, ; Oberdörster et al., ; Peters et al., ). In addition, there are no recognized antimicrobial effects of gas‐phase ozone at low concentrations on either airborne or surface microorganisms (Cole, ). Only at high concentrations – in the range of 6000 to almost 10 000 ppb – does ozone significantly kill fungi and bacteria (Foarde et al., ).…”